Post navigation

Well, that was a nice inauguration, don’t you think? The first family looked smashing, the speech was bold, nobody fell down the steps, Antonin Scalia wore a funny hat and am I forgetting any high points?

I watched it on my iPad, propped up against the lamp while I worked on the other screen. It took a while to find the right channel, so to speak, one that wouldn’t require me to download a new app or listen to a bunch of people blabbering about how many words have been in an assorted selection of inaugural addresses. Finally, thank you New York Times — their live feed was just a running camera, no commentary. It was great; why don’t more channels try this revolutionary strategy? Because then Wolf Blitzer might not be worth a jillion dollars a year, I guess.

Since this is a day with a ton of coverage, let’s go with an all-inauguration bloggage menu, and whatever I missed, you can throw into the comments.

Not dumb, but fun: The Washington Post puts two funny Style reporters to work on the inevitable inaugural-ball roundup. The Running of the Balls was a game between the two of them, to hit as many balls as possible in a single night, with rules about when they could leave and how they could score. That’s one thing the WashPost has always had going for it — they think of new and different ways to cover the same old stories, and have a blast doing it.

T-Lo on Shelley O’s day outfit, and by the time you read this I’m sure they’ll have something to say about the red Jason Wu gown of Monday’s night commander-in-chief ball. So check back. Here’s a separate post on the coat. What coat? THE COAT.

(I’m watching the Obamas dance as I write this, and while I don’t want to pile on the losers, I’m looking at Jennifer Hudson sing “Let’s Stay Together” and trying to imagine what the Romneys would have danced to.)

Post navigation

62 responses to “Inauguration.”

Jill said on January 22, 2013 at 12:33 am

Ms. Nall, I don’t know whether to curse or thank you for turning me onto T-Lo last year. I have begun haunting their darn site and enjoying the snarks. But find myself a bit appalled. Am I really laughing at people for what they wear? Ah well. My conscious has far other things to chide me about. (I know there’s a better way to say that, but it’s all I have right now) So, thanks. I guess.
PS: I’m with you, I’ve been waiting since 7 PST for that red dress to show up on their site…

Dexter said on January 22, 2013 at 12:54 am

I have to say I find Al Roker a classic bore and a person I try to avoid. How Savannah Guthrie can stand that man is beyond me.
For his schtick yesterday with President Barack Obama and later with Vice president Joe Biden, however, thanks to his in-studio deadpan comedy sidekick and straight-man Brian Williams, I must give Al Roker his props.
Some of you saw it I suppose…Al Roker was stationed in a little TV area right at the corner where the parade began to end and the viewing stands were all VIP. President Obama was walking then in the parade, and Al Roker, egged on by Brian Williams, began screaming “MISTER PRESIDENT MISTER PRESIDENT”!, and damned if Barack Obama didn’t look over, smile, answer a question about the good weather from Al,in sign language kind of, and give him a thumbs up. A few minutes Joe Biden actually broke the rules and ran over and shook Al Roker’s hand! Al began acting apoplectic and threw down his giant dildo of a microphone and did his Fred Sanford act, saying “I’m done, I’m done!”
Now I just said I can’t stand Al Roker (he’s a phony son of a bitch, but that’s a long story) but this episode with Brian Williams playing him along was real-life actual ROFLMAO. It was funny. This hurts, but GOOD JOB AL!
And that was the moment I will remember about yesterday.

john not mccain said on January 22, 2013 at 4:04 am

the romneys would have danced to “somethin’ stupid” performed by zombie john & mackenzie phillips.

Thom Browne was interviewed and he said the day dress is made from the same silk he’s used to make ties. You can really see it in the T-Lo pictures. I love it. Not so sure about Shelly’s new hair, though (check out T-Lo on that, too). The framing around her face doesn’t quite work, although there’s somewhat of a Tina Turner vibe about it.

As I was watching coverage last night I thought there should be a drinking game for every time a blabberer uttered the phrase “pomp and circumstance.” Cheers, everyone.

I thought (re: Fallows) that Obama’s “lash and sword” allusion actually was phrased for a nice double-callback, both to Lincoln’s Second Inaugural and the intervening reference in “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing.” And any historian of whatever partisan leaning had to like the “Seneca Falls, Selma, and Stonewall” riff.

A cranky conservative might note with asperity that he’s now sounding as if he was for marriage equality all along, rather than slowly having reached that conclusion a few months ago, but I’m not feeling all that cranky this month, and never bought that he wasn’t going there all along, so if you’re going to pivot do it gracefully — and he did.

The fact that Romney had no better comment in sum through a spokescritter than “Doubtful” about his interest or awareness of what the COUNTRY (you blithering idiot) was doing yesterday . . . contempt doesn’t do my reaction justice. This is where my avoidance of scatology is, I admit, an occasional handicap.

Jon Stewart interviewed Sonia Sotomayor last night. The video is on his website, in three parts. Some of it is quite charming, and all of it shows her to be a thoughtful, humane person with a ready sense of humor. As you may know, she has just published a memoir that is getting good reviews.

I love the first family and all, but it seems that Malia is looking like the average teen, in that she seems constantly embarrassed by her parents. As my sister put it, she has this look like something smells all the time, and it’s her folks. Although yesterday, I didn’t see much of that, but didn’t watch much of the festivities.

James said on January 22, 2013 at 8:01 am

I have a link to share that has nothing to do with the inauguration, but I ran across it yesterday, and found it fascinating.

Linda, there’s a name for that look, it’s called bershon. If you google image that word you will see a bunch of bershon poses. It’s usually done by pre-teens and teens when they are in family photos (and obviously don’t want to be) but you can spot it when kids are at restaurants with their parents too.

beb said on January 22, 2013 at 8:41 am

Thanks, Jolene, for the buzzfeed link. They had a nice selection of photos. I was struck by the photo showing how the swearing-in platform was marked off with tape showing where everyone was to stand. I never really think about such thinks and found it interesting that people pre-plan exactly where everyone is to stand.

Michelle looked stunning in her red dress. And I’m amazed by how tall their oldest child has become. In some of the pictures I saw yesterday it looked as if she was taller than either her father or mother, but that was just perspective. And one wonders if the (dis)loyal opposition will be able to make something of Michelle’s alleged eyerolling at something Boehner said. We already have the cranky old man of the grand old party complaining that Pres. Obama hasn’t reached out to the R’s enough.

It was 1 degree when I got to work today, with a high projected to be 12. It’s an hour later and I still want to wrap myself in a blanket and shiver.

Republicans have countered that it’s his school hat, and that makes it OK.
My school hat is a straw fedora filled with my own puke. Is that still cool?

Julie Robinson said on January 22, 2013 at 9:25 am

Thanks to everyone for the links, I plan to spend some time today catching up. I had to work, and while I could have watched, I’ve learned that accounting doesn’t lend itself to multitasking.

In the evening we went to a MLK concert and remembrance our son was singing in. Every reading was more inspirational than the last, the music was uplifting, and we closed by standing and singing We Shall Overcome together. People started reaching out around the auditorium and by the end of the second verse everyone was holding hands. It could have been just a kumbaya moment, but in the context of the evening it was spine-tingling. It’s been awhile since I read any MLK, and I’m overdue to rectify that.

And Jolene, I’m looking forward to reading Sonia Sotomayor’s book. In the interview I heard she was talking about favorite childhood books, and I felt she was a kindred spirit.

Peter said on January 22, 2013 at 9:33 am

“My school hat is a straw fedora filled with my own puke. Is that still cool?”

Compared to that dead skunk sitting on top of Scalia, why yes, Cooz, yes it is.

brian stouder said on January 22, 2013 at 9:36 am

Scalia is just doin’ what the average troll does: grasp for attention. (I think he might up and retire, the better to wrest control of the am airwaves away from Oxycontin Rush – the rightwing whack-job who, afterall, has the more-fun day job)

Afterall, why should Michelle’s marvelous coat (and dangerously high heels) get all the attention?

Supreme Court Justices usually (and specifically) wear black robes because….why? They do this so as to symbolize plain impartiality, yes?

One might therefore expect that, when a Justice attends a national public event, she or he will dress appropriately, and not draw undue attention to him- or herself. (what would the Republicans say if Justice Kagan wore a turban, or a particularly stunning dress?)

Thorstein Veblen was a prophet. They ought to be reciting his work in schools instead of that idiot pledge of allegiance.

Deborah said on January 22, 2013 at 10:38 am

Coozledad, I went to your Wonkette link and then got sidetracked by the 10 ugliest celebrities link. Whoa, bad, bad plastic surgery all around.

Bitter Scribe said on January 22, 2013 at 10:47 am

Some people are jumping on Romney for not devoting his autumn years to public service. I say meh. As a member of the public, there isn’t anything in particular I need or want from Romney.

Jeff Borden said on January 22, 2013 at 10:47 am

I’m clearly a small and petty man, but one of my favorite moments yesterday was reading the whining posts of a cousin, a teahadist who loathes President Obama in such a visceral manner he may someday pop a vein. “The war is lost. . .America is dead. . .the takers and the moochers and the abortionists have won. . .the nation I grew up with no longer exists. . .etc.” This is a man who works for one of America’s largest defense contractors but is constantly blathering on about government spending without even a trace of irony. So, for me, that was a delight.

Otherwise, I thought the president lived up to his billing as a great communicator, something he hasn’t always done in his first term. Whether this speech will be as quoted and as remembered as FDR or JFK’s or Abe’s is for history to judge, but like all of you, I heard things that really caused me to sit up and pay attention. The mention of Stonewall is hugely significant, I think, because despite his gifts for soaring rhetoric, Obama is at heart a pragmatist. He did not lead on gay rights (or immigration rights) in ways I’d hoped because I think he viewed those issues as too divisive and likely to bog down his other initiatives. Now, this most pragmatic of pols citing the seminal gay rights event suggests he knows the tide not only has turned but will engulf the nation.

Finally, I don’t watch Faux News or listen to the right-wing radio programs, but I’ve got to bet a boatload of heads were exploding yesterday all up and down the airwaves.

Minnie said on January 22, 2013 at 10:53 am

Deborah, thanks for the new word, “bershon”. I recall with chagrin going through that stage and am grateful there were no news photographers or phone cameras to capture my hyper-critical face and body language for publication.

Coozledad, that thing with wanting to form their own libertarian “kingdom” on Belle Isle is especially rich. They want a commonwealth, so they don’t get hit with U.S. taxes even though they could just as well dodge them by renouncing their citizenship and living in cheaper places. But, of course, lots of those places aren’t as safe or have a modern infrastructure paid for by…taxes. Also, they want an entrance tax of $300,000 to get in, with exceptions for 20% of the island’s population that would be set aside for artists and “striving immigrants.” Hey, you need someone to provide amusement and cheap labor.: http://news.msn.com/politics/libertarians-plan-independent-communities-on-us-soil

Borden: One of my Republican uncles just crapped out at 91, but he lived long enough to see Obama reelected. Heeee. I hope he was able to process it as well as he did anything else in his thoroughly wasted life.

It’s nice to think the past four years drove that McCarthyite bastard up the walls. It would almost have been worth it to hear him melt down, but I’ve come to believe his level of stupid is the result of a prion disease that is at once communicable and incurable.

And, in my opinion, the President and the First Lady dancing the first dance was extremely excellent. And I like the bangs a lot.

Deborah @27: If you have Antoine in your name, isn’t “Fats” de rigeur as a sobriquet?

Basset said on January 22, 2013 at 11:45 am

I have yet to get a coherent reply from any Republican when I ask them how they would have wanted liberals to act if RMoney had won… and why they’re not behaving that way themselves.

brian stouder said on January 22, 2013 at 11:47 am

Beyonce did a marvelous job, and she also stopped our 14 year old in her tracks, so that she ended up watching the C-SPAN inauguration replays with me last night (interspersed with live events as the President and First Lady made the rounds).

Prospero: Watteau was the exception. He was a blood spitting consumptive most of his adult life, which was short. The first modern, arguably. The first true psychological painter, definitely. Here, Phillipe DeMontebello tries to explain:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8ww6wYueZQ

I’m surprised the French(or Belgian)government hasn’t lodged some claim for his few surviving works as a matter of national pride.

Prospero said on January 22, 2013 at 11:54 am

The ugliest celebs is interesting, but aside from Melanie Griffith who uused to be a beautifull and talented actor, and Iggy, who is ugly by design, haw are any of those people celebrities?

Some of the funniest commentary came from the inimitable Andy Borowitz, who noted that Fox News had scheduled a “routine” maintenance check that would take their network down all day Monday, and then had Republicans congratulating Obama for outlining policies that they’d like to thwart!

Oh, the schadenfreud was rich with me on Monday, especially hearing GOP politicians whining about how “partisan” Obama’s inaugural address was. My answer? He tried that bipartisan stuff for four years, and we see how well that worked.

And hey, come to think of it, THAT’s a realm worth applying to any hoped-for fate of that sad, despicable and deeply shallow (yes) loser Rmoney . . .

And Adrianne? EXACTLY:
NPR’s Dallas reporter Wade Goodwin presented a damned-near-perfect reflection on Morning Edition today of the continuing chorus of whining denial on the right in this Inauguration Day spin through the Looney Star State (plus the Florida congressman who wants to impeach the president for his gun-control agenda).

It’s like a greatest hits of GOP 2012 campaign infamy: Birther! College Degree’er! The Entitlement State, and Obama’s the chief pusher!

susan said on January 22, 2013 at 12:18 pm

to add: The hat is a custom-made replica of the hat depicted in Holbein’s famous portrait of St. Thomas More. It was a gift from the St. Thomas More Society of Richmond, Virginia. We presented it to him in November 2010 as a memento of his participation in our 27th annual Red Mass and dinner.

Danny said on January 22, 2013 at 12:24 pm

paddy’o, I suspect that Jeff’s eschatological leanings would be that of a pantheist… as in everything pans out in the end.

Prospero said on January 22, 2013 at 12:30 pm

Danny, pretending that racism isn’t involved does not make it remotely so. It’s a fact, Jack. Eschatological to nutjobbers is something hilarious about which they have no clue.

Pam said on January 22, 2013 at 12:33 pm

Dexter @ 2 – I will never again be able to look at Al Roker and not think about that “pooped my pants” story on national television. John Stewart featured it as Your Moment of Zen, LOL! My son said that the next day on FM 107.5 here that was all they talked about, “why he want to tell everyone he shit himself and all on TV!!”. I feel sorry for his wife, she seems nice.

Jill @ 1 – Me too! T&L have a good eye. I like the new hairdo however.

Jakash said on January 22, 2013 at 12:39 pm

Danny,
I hate to be a twit, but I’d imagine that all of the journos here found that sentence “untoward”. Leave out the intervening words and you see the problem: “Us … are not acting in any untoward way.” It should be “we”. One of the problems with this comment of mine is that I don’t know whether the quotation marks should be inside or outside of the periods in my sentences. ; )

Danny said on January 22, 2013 at 12:41 pm

And the corollary of pretending that racism is always involved is equally ridiculous. You and Cooze seem to live in this fantasy world where there is a Nazi around every corner and a lynching reference in every utterance. Have fun with that.

Danny said on January 22, 2013 at 12:55 pm

Jakash, I admit that my grammar has really taken a downturn this past year. Though it’s never been perfect (who’s is?), I don’t think it’s always been as bad. I’d like to chalk it up to being way too busy for too long and verging on burnout.

Nancy’s cored-apple description the other day struck a chord with me… that is how I’ve felt for a very long time, it seems. My career arc has been such that the last few years have been comprised of mostly 60-70 hour weeks.

Luckily, I like my job and it is rewarding, but even vacations don’t seem to have the desired effect of recharging the batteries anymore.

Danny said on January 22, 2013 at 12:56 pm

dammit.. whose, not who’s.

Deborah said on January 22, 2013 at 1:00 pm

I like the bangs too. Not many women over 40 can pull them off.

I learned a couple of things this morning, where Scalia got his hat and that Al Roker pooped his pants in the White House. Gross.

Now I’m off to the Art Institute where I hope to learn some more, but not gross stuff.

Jeff Borden said on January 22, 2013 at 1:12 pm

Danny,

I don’t see Nazis behind every tree and I’m dead certain there are plenty of Democrats who are racists, sexists, homophobes, etc. Political labels don’t ensure purity.

The battle against racism is ancient and ongoing. Maybe it will never be won. Perhaps all of us still have enough tribal caveman (or cavewoman) genes in us to always make us view those different from us in a fearful manner. We celebrate victories including the elevation of a black man to the highest office in the land and the inclusion of a Latina to the highest court in the land and other milestones. Yet the idea that race, religion, gender, etc. are no barriers to American life remains just that — an idea. Ask a black professional who wears a suit to work to tell you how many times a taxi passed them by to pick up a white guy in dirty jeans and a sweatshirt? Ask an observant Muslim woman or a Sikh man how many times others have mocked them or delivered angry glares because of their scarves and turbans? Ask the high-ranking woman Army officer what it feels like when she is told her lesbian partner-for-life cannot enjoy the same benefits as the spouses of heterosexual soldiers?

My point is that we have traveled a long road, but really, we have miles and miles and miles to go. One political party (or movement, if you will) seems to be on board with making things more stable and level for all, however imperfectly it may act. The other political party seems to stand in the way, not simply by recognizing the facts of ongoing discrimination, but also by playing to it, whether for votes or fund-raising.

George W. Bush will be, I think, the worst president in my lifetime. He and his administration did great damage to our nation. . .damage that remains largely unrepaired. But while I truly despise him and those with whom he surrounded himself, I never questioned whether he was an American. . .I never suggested he was an undercover Muslim who hated America. . .I never created an image of him surrounded by oils wells or cowboy hats or what other cliches accrue to people from Texas. Compare and contrast to how the right has treated Obama?

It’s long past time for Republican leaders at local, state and federal levels to start standing up to the goobers who animate the darker regions of their party. And yes, I explicitly mean the teabaggers. When someone shows up at a rally with a photoshopped image of President Obama with a bone through his nose? Throw that fucking asshole out of your rally. When a party official shares a racist joke online, fire that bastard and make an example of them. Stop demonizing immigrants. . .gays. . .atheists. . .whatever.

Racism is a term that carries a lot of sting. It is often overused. But damn, let’s all admit that there is a boatload of it here and abroad.

Danny: I carried mail to the local republican party stalwarts in the aftermath of the Oklahoma City bombing. All of them racists, some even with the stars and bars floating over the Mcmansion /trailer. They were all remarkably keen on that Timothy McVeigh. Some of the antigov pron I delivered them would occasionally slide out of its plain brown wrapper to reveal their Brandeis quoting fascist hero. Their poster boy had that sweaty, constipated look of every Republican autodidact I’ve ever had the misfortune of having to avoid.
But hey, if you’re going to reinstitute the Articles of Confederation, you have to have a few heroes who are willing to roast a few government employees and their infants.

And as for the Klan and Nazis being around every corner? They’re just on both sides of me here. Take a wild guess how they vote.

brian stouder said on January 22, 2013 at 2:15 pm

And the thing about “human progress” is that it is all – all of it – built on top of a trap-door; and our ever-present fools and haters are ever-ready to pull the lever and release the trap-door, and then tsk tsk tsk about the catastrophe that follows. European society – twice – in the first half of the last century and the Asians and parts of Europe in the middle and the second half of the last century all had the lever pulled on them…

The Romneys were spectacularly graceless yesterday. They would have danced to Lawrence Welk.

Well said, Jeff B.

Deborah said on January 22, 2013 at 7:19 pm

Coozledad, I visited the Watteau at the Art Institute, it is exquisite, it seemed smaller than the dimensions, the actual figures are quite small because there’s so much landscape around them. The woman in the pink dress looks internally illuminated because the surroundings are so dark. I could have stared at it for much longer than I was able, I was with others who were ready to move on. I will go back and spend more time with it. That’s another good thing about a membership card and retirement, I can go whenever I want. We walked there, about a mile and a half, in 8 degree weather. It was sunny, but still. Happily took a cab back. Thanks for asking about it earlier, I had no idea it was here in Chicago.

Brian, it wasn’t a mass shooting, but a shootout between 2 guys having an argument, with both armed. Oh, and they hit an innocent bystander in the leg. Because an armed society is a polite society. Just ask the guy who got hit.

Danny, maybe panentheism. But not pantheism, for reasons both aesthetic and theological!

Crazycatlady said on January 22, 2013 at 11:02 pm

The hat Scalia wore sure looks like a catholic priest’s hat. We all know how catholic that guy is. He mugged a priest for it!!

Minnie said on January 23, 2013 at 10:15 am

Jeff (tmmo), I am enjoying your tidbits on theology, both the earlier insights into Mormanism, and now a mention of panentheism. That made me “look it up”, as my first set of World Book Encyclopedias encouraged so long ago.